Coca-Cola's Velcro ads create a sticky situation for bus riders
Filed under: Extracurriculars, Shopping
We've heard of sticky advertising campaigns before -- those that try to get you to stay transfixed on an ad for just a little longer -- but Coca-Cola has taken the concept to a whole new level. To generate buzz for its new "grip bottle" packaging, the soft drink giant has unveiled giant posters made of Velcro in bus stations throughout Paris. Designed to create an interactive experience with consumers, the Velcro ads are instead like a spider's web awaiting unsuspecting commuters.
The posters hook onto anything woolly or fuzzy that comes within a few inches of its gripping surface. And, if you think trying to "unstick" a little piece of Velcro from a woolen mitten is tough, imagine freeing your winter overcoat or cashmere sweater from something the size of a cubicle wall. Here's hoping a sweet little granny wearing a knitted scarf doesn't stray too close or else she'll never make it out of the station.
The interesting ads do present the French with a hilarious host of reasons for arriving late to work. Imagine explaining to your boss you're late because the billboard got fresh and wouldn't let go of you woolen trousers.
Advertisers seem to love to get creative with commuters at bus stations. In 2006, chocolate-chip scented devices were installed in San Francisco bus stations as part of the Got Milk ad campaign. The goal: To stimulate a rider's desire to make like the Cookie Monster and gobble up cookies - of course, pairing them with a glass of milk.
Maybe Coca-Cola and the Got Milk campaign should make their way to Jacksonville, Fla. where their ads (and the money that comes with them) would most likely be warmly embraced. Only about 350 of the city's 6,000 or so bus stops offer residents shelters from the elements. In fact, some don't even have benches, forcing residents to sit on cable spools while waiting for their ride. If these ads could buy more shelters, then I'm confident residents wouldn't be too upset if they get blasted with cookie-scented spray or stuck to a wall for a few minutes during their morning commute.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
11-17-2009 @ 8:36PM
RJ said...
I am NEVER surprised by what an AD Agency will suggest. But I am continually amazed at what a Brand Manager or Marketing VP will aprove, to seal their fate.
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11-18-2009 @ 12:45AM
IllbootenGOTTI said...
No kidding. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure....who screened that and said "Yes"?
11-17-2009 @ 8:38PM
Adam said...
Coke isn't making enough money? MORE! MORE! MORE!
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11-17-2009 @ 8:58PM
sharon` said...
Well if they are doing it new york that could be a bad thing in the subway. I can just see people getting robbed or worse yet raped and killed as they are stuck to a piece of velcro by a sweater or coat and unable to get away. Actually anywhere is kind of bad, bad move coke.
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11-17-2009 @ 11:09PM
Frank said...
The Proud Men and Women of the NYPD ensure no one is raped or killed on subway platforms. Check the stats. Because of us crime in NYC and the Surrounding Boroughs (Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and Staten Island) is the lowest of any city of comparable size. We keep the streets and Subway Platforms safe for NYers and big eyed tourists like yourself that are terrified of the big city.
11-18-2009 @ 12:30AM
shay said...
ummmm..... i highly doubt that the velcro is that strong... i don't think the billboards are holding anybody hostage.
11-18-2009 @ 5:09AM
YourChurchSucks said...
Frank - ever take a look at the crime statistics in New York City? This isn't exactly something to brag about. The police are far more fixated on issuing parking tickets than fighting serious crime, as anyone who has ever lived there KNOWS. Nice try at flinging some BS, though. LOL
11-17-2009 @ 9:12PM
Dan said...
Sorry coke, PEPSI's THE ONE. And this reminder from the 60's:
TASTE that BEATS the others COLD, PEPSI POURS IN ON ... !
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11-28-2009 @ 11:10PM
Daniel said...
Sorry Dan,Pepsi will always be a 2nd banana to Coke, it just a bad copy.
11-18-2009 @ 5:13AM
Master Shake said...
People who say that they can't tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi probably can't tell the difference between steak and dog food, either. If you actually prefer Pepsi, then please brush your teeth after your meals, because that second hand dog food smell is really nasty.
11-17-2009 @ 9:09PM
mike said...
The beer companys need to do this so I dont spill so much beer. Lighten up people. Its a great ad. Scared of getting raped becaused you are stuck to a coke machine? Are you serious ? If Its that strong of a suction , woudnt the rapest get his wiener stuck on it to? Seems to me it would help prevent rapes. HAHA!
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11-17-2009 @ 9:29PM
Ann said...
"Scared of getting raped because you are stuck to a coke machine? Are you serious ? If Its that strong of a suction , woudnt the rapest get his wiener stuck on it to?"
Mike... LMAO!! Reading comments by some people is painstaking... thanks for the laugh in the midst of it!!
11-17-2009 @ 9:19PM
Johnjlws said...
I worked for coke for a decade through the "New" coke debacle (and, yes, it was a disaster). This is one of the stupidest companies on the planet, but they do have good cavity-causing-colored-sugar-water (and, yes, it does; and, yes, it is).
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11-17-2009 @ 9:35PM
Daniel said...
A company so stupid it`s been around since 1886 and still making a profit.
11-17-2009 @ 10:24PM
laughing hard said...
mike your comment-i am lmao!!! What a visual THAT is!! LOL
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11-17-2009 @ 10:15PM
thewellnessgrp said...
well that is one way to make you think about the bottle and not the product that is toxic that you will ingest! LOL!
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11-17-2009 @ 11:09PM
kathy said...
My brother worked for the Coca Cola Bottling Company from the mid 70's till sometime in the 90's. He was one of their most creative employee's in those days. The kind of employee that comes along once in a lifetime. His sales numbers always came in the highest, worked long hours a truly dedicated employee.....Some of his ideas were from out of the box, it's a real shame they did not listen to him in the early 90's many of his ideas would have kept them at the top. He kept insisting in those days that they needed to get into other products. To this day he is a dedicated Coke enthusiat
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11-17-2009 @ 10:58PM
retro said...
No one wants to comment on the blackbird rip-off?
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11-17-2009 @ 11:16PM
keith said...
PEPSI Please!
Reply
11-18-2009 @ 12:41AM
rjfromcincy said...
Am I the only one having trouble taking the cap off of the 20 oz. Cokes since they made the caps smaller? They really need to fix the bottle caps more than anything else.
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